Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 2:39 pm Post subject: Could I get work in the middle east

Hello all,

I have been thinking of teaching in the middle east, but I wasn't sure if I had the right qualifications/experience.

A little about myself.

I am 31 years old and have BA History, CELTA, and currentgly studying MA TESOL. After my A-levels I went to India for a holiday where I found myself a small teaching job, teaching English to children and spent 2 years there.

I came back to the UK, for financial reasons, and went on to study History. I met my husband at university and after finishing I went to Pakistan with him and taught English for 3 years at a well established school. We decided, due to the unstablity of the country, to return to the UK. Because I enjoyed teaching I decided I should get some formal qualifications hence I studied for a CELTA.

After completing my CELTA, my old school in India asked if I could teach again for 3 months, which I did. However, after 3 months, and being apart from my husband, I decided not to stay longer and return to the UK. I enrolled myself on to a MA course which will finish next year. My husband has been thinking to move to Qatar (his company is thinking of moving him there -) and I am wondering, would I be able to find a good job teaching English.

You didn't indicate if you have a teaching license from the UK for teaching youngsters (I assume that's your home country), but your qualifications---no teaching experience post-CELTA or MA---are too minimal for teaching at the adult level. Employers in the Gulf wouldn't invest the money and resources to bring you over to teach. However, if you'd be following your spouse to the region, you might be able to get some type of teaching situation but would be considered a local hire. That means little, if any, benefits and minimal pay. So, if your husband is relocated to Qatar, wait until you get there to see what available jobs you'd possibly qualify for. Besides, you haven't yet completed your MA.

Ethnicity comes into the equation in the Gulf. If you seem ethnically "different" it will be harder for you to get a job in the Gulf - especially a well-paid one. Sad but true.

Just curious, what does that mean? Skin color?

Skin colour, nationality and L1 in particular. Having said that, if your name or skin colour doesn't fit, it might not matter what your nationality or L1 is. A British native-speaker of Indian heritage might find himself/herself either rejected, or offered less money than his/her Caucasian co-workers, simply because of ethnic origins.

More broadly: age, gender, religion, sexuality (and even sometimes marital status) can all see you discriminated against quite brazenly in the ME.

Ethnicity comes into the equation in the Gulf. If you seem ethnically "different" it will be harder for you to get a job in the Gulf - especially a well-paid one. Sad but true.

Just curious, what does that mean? Skin color?

Skin colour, nationality and L1 in particular. Having said that, if your name or skin colour doesn't fit, it might not matter what your nationality or L1 is. A British native-speaker of Indian heritage might find himself/herself either rejected, or offered less money than his/her Caucasian co-workers, simply because of ethnic origins.

More broadly: age, gender, religion, sexuality (and even sometimes marital status) can all see you discriminated against quite brazenly in the ME.

Interesting. I thought older teachers were accepted in the ME. Are you referring to single v. married people? Is it worse to be a single woman or man? And name??

The age discrimination in the Gulf doesn't start until you are pushing 60. That said, if you are already there under contract for some years, you may be able to stay until 65 or even 70. They are more likely to avoid hiring young singles of either sex... for the obvious reasons in a culture that doesn't allow dating, drinking, or even just mixing of the sexes casually.

Universities have tended to prefer to hire married teachers. Again for the obvious reason that singles are culturally disruptive. Military and Petroleum jobs are almost all only for single men. In Saudi it is significantly easier for single men than women. In the rest of the Gulf, I found little problem as a single female, but I was 40 when I got there.

VS
Your posts are always thoughtful, respectful and enlightening at the same time. Whenever I see your name I always read what you've written. Thank you for your responses. Your students were very lucky, you seem like you were an excellent teacher.

The age discrimination in the Gulf doesn't start until you are pushing 60. That said, if you are already there under contract for some years, you may be able to stay until 65 or even 70. They are more likely to avoid hiring young singles of either sex... for the obvious reasons in a culture that doesn't allow dating, drinking, or even just mixing of the sexes casually.

Universities have tended to prefer to hire married teachers. Again for the obvious reason that singles are culturally disruptive. Military and Petroleum jobs are almost all only for single men. In Saudi it is significantly easier for single men than women. In the rest of the Gulf, I found little problem as a single female, but I was 40 when I got there.

Name relates to ethnicity...

VS

Admittedly, Saudi seemed to be fairly flexible on older teachers, but here in Qatar it's government policy that all public sector workers retire from their positions at 60. I heard there were a bunch of instructors who all had to retire from one of the government colleges last year. In the private sector in Qatar you can work past 60, but you aren't allowed to change sponsor, which effectively ends your career here, if you want to change job.

Young singles seem to be discriminated against, for the reasons already mentioned by VS, but also because a minimum of 5 years post-qualification experience is often sought by employers here, meaning the minimum age of most teachers being accepted is at least 28-30 anyway.

Depending on your age, I would recommend Qatar over Saudi any day, especially for female teachers.